What Every Parent Needs to Know About the Types of Brain Tumours
What Is A Brain Tumour?
A brain tumour, which is also known as intracranial tumours, is essentially an abnormal mass of brain tissue, wherein cells begin to grow and multiply in an uncontrolled manner. This process is seemingly unchecked by the inherent mechanisms that control growth of normal cells. Around 150 diverse brain tumour types have been successfully documented; however, the two primary groups of brain tumours are ‘primary’ and ‘metastatic.” This is the brain tumours classification.
Primary brain tumours are tumours that find their origin in the brain tissue or the immediate surroundings of the brain. Primary tumours are further categorized as glial (comprising of glial cells) or non-glial (which develop on or within the brain structures such as glands, blood vessels, and nerves) and benign or malignant.
Metastatic brain tumours are those that arise at different organs of the body (such as the lungs or breasts) and eventually migrate to the brain, generally through the bloodstream. Metastatic tumours are considered to be cancerous as well as malignant. Mentioned below are some of the tumour types in brain.
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Benign Brain Tumours
- Chordomas are largely benign and slow-growing tumours that are highly prevalent in individuals between the ages 50 and 60.
- Craniopharyngiomas are typically benign but are quite difficult to remove because of their usual location near extremely critical structures deep within the brain.
- Gangliocytomas, gangliomas as well as anaplastic gangliogliomas are extremely rare tumours that generally include neoplastic nerve cells that are relatively well-diversified, occurring predominantly in young adults.
- Glomus Jugulare tumours are mostly benign and typically located just beneath the base of the skull, above the jugular vein. They are essentially the most common form of glomus tumours.
- Meningiomas are essentially the most common form of benign intracranial tumours, comprising 10-15% of all brain neoplasms. That said, an extremely small percentage are malignant.
- Pineocytomas are usually benign lesions that develop from the pineal cells, occurring widely in adults. Most often, they are well-defined, homogeneous, and non-invasive, besides being slow in growth.
- Pituitary adenomas are the most common form of intracranial tumours after gliomas, schwannomas, and meningiomas. Most pituitary adenomas are largely benign and quite slow in growth.
- Schwannomas are, by far, the most common benign brain tumour occurring in adults. They grow along nerves and are comprised of cells that generally provide the nerve cells with ‘electrical insulation.’ Acoustic neuromas are arguably the most common form of schwannoma.
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Malignant Brain Tumours
Gliomas are the most predominant type of adult brain tumour that account for 78% of malignant brain tumours. They originate in the brain’s supporting cells known as glia.
Glial tumours are comprised of the following:
- Astrocytomas (the most common glioma) accounts for nearly half of all primary spinal cord and brain tumours. They develop from the star-shaped glial cells that are known as astrocytes.
- Ependymomas are predominantly derived from a neoplastic transformation of the ependymal cells that line the ventricular system and account for nearly 2-3% of all brain tumours.
- Glioblastoma multiforme (or GBM) is known to be the most invasive type of a glial tumour. These tumours have a tendency to grow at a brisk pace, spreading to other tissues and having a poor prognosis.
- Medulloblastomas generally originate in the cerebellum. These high-grade tumours are quite responsive to chemotherapy and radiation.
- Oligodendrogliomas are derived from cells producing myelin, which is the insulation for the brain’s wiring system.
Other types of brain tumours include hemangioblastomas and rhabdoid tumours.
To Sum It Up:
Brain tumours can either be malignant or benign. There are a wide range of both malignant and benign tumours. While some of these tumours occur in elderly individuals, young adults, too, can develop them. Parents should have knowledge about the diverse types of brain tumours because parents’ awareness is important if their children develop these conditions.
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